Why isn’t Jamal Musiala playing for Germany against Paraguay? World Cup team news

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has made a big change to his team for the round of 32 game against Paraguay, dropping Jamal Musiala from the starting XI.

The Bayern Munich midfielder is considered one of the most talented young players on the planet and he has been a national team regular since making his debut in 2021.

However the 23-year-old has struggled for form this season after recovering from a broken ankle during the 2025 Club World Cup. After starting for Germany in all three World Cup group stage games this summer, Musiala is replaced by the in-form Deniz Undav to take on Paraguay.

Germany team news to face Paraguay

Germany began the World Cup with a stunning 7-1 win over Curaçao and followed that up with a 2-1 win against Côte d’Ivoire to wrap up top spot in the group. But the final group stage game was a disappointing 2-1 loss to Ecuador, cutting the optimism ahead of the knockout rounds.

One of the unexpected stars for Germany has been striker Deniz Undav, who has scored three times across three substitue appearances so far. Undav comes into the team and replaces Musiala.

Germany team news: Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlovic; Sane, Undav, Wirtz; Havertz.

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